But inflammation is not always helpful. Chronic inflammation refers to the ongoing presence of chemical markers and promoters of the inflammatory process, says Dr. Gillian Flower of the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre. "This form of inflammation is concerning, as it is associated with many common health concerns including arthritis, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, cancer and even depression."

Symptoms of inflammation include swelling, redness, pain and flu-like symptoms. Chronic inflammation, however, often does not have symptoms, says registered dietitian and founder of seale Nutrition, Julie Seale.

Chronic inflammation is often associated with stress, smoking, poor sleep, excessive drinking, yo-yo dieting, physical inactivity, diets high in sugar, saturated fat and omega-6. Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant can be pro-inflammatory for some and anti-inflammatory for others, Seale says.

"I don't recommend extreme diets like restricting foods completely (i.e. the no sugar diet); such diets are monotonous, difficult to follow for long periods and unnecessary," Seale tells the Huffington Post Canada.

Instead of cutting out foods, Seale suggests improving your diet as a whole. "There are no superfoods," Seale says. "Some foods may reduce inflammation, but we don't eat foods in isolation; it's the overall diet that counts".

While diets like The Mediterranean Diet claim to have anti-inflammatory properties due to its high content of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, olive oil and nuts, research on inflammation and diet is ongoing.

In the slideshow below, Seale shares 10 foods that have been associated with reducing inflammation in the body.